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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,189 records · Page 66
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

The Arctic in the Anthropocene: Emerging Research Questions

The activity was designed to provide guidance on future research questions in the Arctic over the next 10-20 years, identifying the key scientific questions that are emerging in different realms of Arctic science and exploring both disciplinary realms (e.g., marine, terrestrial, atmosphere, cryosphere, and social sciences) and cross cutting realms (e.g., integrated systems science and sustainability science). Based on the emerging research questions, the study also helps identify research infrastructure needs and collaboration opportunities. Attention was given to assessing needs where there may be a mismatch between rates of change and the pace of scientific research. Although it is understood that there is no one answer, the committee was asked to explore how agency decision makers might achieve balance in their research portfolios and associated investments. This report is meant to guide future directions in U.S. Arctic research so that research is targeted on critical scientific and societal questions and conducted as effectively as possible. This activity was sponsored by USARC, DOE, NASA, NOAA, NSF, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Pfirman, Stephanie↗
NASA NTRS2006

Standardized Radiation Shield Design Methods: 2005 HZETRN

Research committed by the Langley Research Center through 1995 resulting in the HZETRN code provides the current basis for shield design methods according to NASA STD-3000 (2005). With this new prominence, the database, basic numerical procedures, and algorithms are being re-examined with new methods of verification and validation being implemented to capture a well defined algorithm for engineering design processes to be used in this early development phase of the Bush initiative. This process provides the methodology to transform the 1995 HZETRN research code into the 2005 HZETRN engineering code to be available for these early design processes. In this paper, we will review the basic derivations including new corrections to the codes to insure improved numerical stability and provide benchmarks for code verification.

Wilson, John W.↗
DOE OSTI2024

River systems under peaked stress

The change in the global energy production mix towards variable renewable energy sources requires efficient utilization of regulated rivers to optimise hydropower operations meet the needs of a changing energy market. However, the flexible operation of hydropower plants causes non-natural, sub-daily fluctuating flows in the receiving water bodies, often referred to as ‘hydropeaking’. Drastic changes in sub-daily flow regimes undermine attempts to improve river system health. Environmental decision makers, including permitting authorities and river basin managers facing the intense and increasing pressure on river environments, should consider ecosystem services and biodiversity issues more thoroughly. The need for research innovations in hydropeaking operation design to fulfil both the water and energy security responsibilities of hydropower is highlighted. Our paper outlines optimized hydropeaking design as a future research direction to help researchers, managers, and decision-makers prioritize actions that could enable better integration of river science and energy system planning. The goal of this is to find a balanced hydropower operation strategy.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

KiloPower Space Reactor Concept: Reactor Materials Study

This paper presents the logic and analysis used to produce an initial choice of fuel, reflector material and heat pipe placement for the Kilopower reactor concept. Kilopower is a small 4 kWt (1 kWe) space reactor system that uses a highly enriched uranium core with heat pipes to deliver thermal energy to Stirling engines to produce electricity. First, the paper presents the logic behind the initial selection of uranium metal as the base starting point for the fuel over a myriad of other fuel choices. Next, a material study was performed that examined the choices of potential alloy materials for uranium, choices for reflector material and choices for the location of the heat pipes. The results of the material study was a fuel choice of highly enriched uranium alloy with 7% molybdenum, a reflector choice of beryllium oxide, and a choice for the heat pipe placement at the edge of the fuel. This report is a companion document to heat pipe mechanical design performed by NASA Glenn Research and materials research/manufacturing design work performed by NASA Glenn and Y-12.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
NASA NTRS1977

SESAME/Environmental Research Laboratories

The Environmental Research Laboratories (ERL) have been designated as the basic research group of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). ERL performs an integrated program of research and research services directed toward understanding the geophysical environment, protecting the environment, and improving the forecasting ability of NOAA. Twenty-four laboratories located throughout the United States comprise ERL. The Project SESAME (Severe Environmental Storms and Mesoscale Experiment) Planning Office is a project office within ERL. SESAME is conceived as a joint effort involving NOAA, NASA, NSF, and the atmospheric science community to lay the foundation for improved prediction of severe convective storms. The scientific plan for SESAME includes a phased buildup of analysis, modeling, instrumentation development and procurement, and limited-scale observational activities.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1985

IPAD: A unique approach to government/industry cooperation for technology development and transfer

A key element to improved industry productivity is effective management of Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) information. To stimulate advancement, a unique joint government/industry project designated Integrated Programs for Aerospace-Vehicle Design (IPAD) was carried out from 1971 to 1984. The goal was to raise aerospace industry productivity through advancement of computer based technology to integrate and manage information involved in the design and manufacturing process. IPAD research was guided by an Industry Technical Advisory Board (ITAB) composed of over 100 representatives from aerospace and computer companies. The project complemented traditional NASA/DOD research to develop aerospace design technology and the Air Force's Integrated Computer Aided Manufacturing (ICAM) program to advance CAM technology. IPAD had unprecedented industry support and involvement and served as a unique approach to government industry cooperation in the development and transfer of advanced technology. The IPAD project background, approach, accomplishments, industry involvement, technology transfer mechanisms and lessons learned are summarized.

Fulton, Robert E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Development of a quiet supersonic wind tunnel with a cryogenic adaptive nozzle

The main objectives of this work is to demonstrate the potential of a cryogenic adaptive nozzle to generate quiet (low disturbance) supersonic flow. A drive system was researched for the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory (FML) Laminar Flow Supersonic Wind Tunnel (LFSWT) using a pilot tunnel. A supportive effort for ongoing Proof of Concept (PoC) research leading to the design of critical components of the LFSWT was maintained. The state-of-the-art in quiet supersonic wind tunnel design was investigated. A supersonic research capability was developed within the FML.

Wolf, Stephen D.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Optomechanical Design and Operation of the Ionospheric Mapping and Geocoronal Experiment

The Ionospheric Mapping and Geocoronal Experiment (IMAGER) is a space-based, multispectral, imaging payload, designed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. IMAGER is designed to be at the forefront of space based remote sensing instruments for the study of the ionosphere in regards to the spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions it will possess. IMAGER S mission is to find, track, and measure ionospheric irregularities as they move across the surface of the Earth and vary with time. IMAGER will observe the ionosphere of the Earth in the extreme and far ultraviolet wavelengths from 83.4 nm to 143.0 nm using the airglow emission from the nighttime and daytime ionosphere. The heart of the instrument consists of a 160mm, F/4.0 telescope which is an off-axial portion of a very fast aplanatic Gregorian. The focal length is 640 mm and the field of view is 2.17 degrees. The modulation transfer function is above 0.90 at 2.8 line pairs/ millimeter over the field corresponding to a 20 km line pair on the Earth. A system of reflective filters is used to select different wavelengths of interest. The telescope will be gimbaled to provide a field of regard encompassing the entire disk and limb of the Earth. The gimbal will also allow the telescope to track the ionospheric irregularities as they move. This paper describes the design of the optical and mechanical systems and their intended performance and includes an overview of the mission and science requirements that defined those aforementioned systems.

Kalmanson, Phillip C.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Coating Processes Boost Performance of Solar Cells

NASA currently has spacecraft orbiting Mercury (MESSENGER), imaging the asteroid Vesta (Dawn), roaming the red plains of Mars (the Opportunity rover), and providing a laboratory for humans to advance scientific research in space (the International Space Station, or ISS). The heart of the technology that powers those missions and many others can be held in the palm of your hand - the solar cell. Solar, or photovoltaic (PV), cells are what make up the panels and arrays that draw on the Sun s light to generate electricity for everything from the Hubble Space Telescope s imaging equipment to the life support systems for the ISS. To enable NASA spacecraft to utilize the Sun s energy for exploring destinations as distant as Jupiter, the Agency has invested significant research into improving solar cell design and efficiency. Glenn Research Center has been a national leader in advancing PV technology. The Center s Photovoltaic and Power Technologies Branch has conducted numerous experiments aimed at developing lighter, more efficient solar cells that are less expensive to manufacture. Initiatives like the Forward Technology Solar Cell Experiments I and II in which PV cells developed by NASA and private industry were mounted outside the ISS have tested how various solar technologies perform in the harsh conditions of space. While NASA seeks to improve solar cells for space applications, the results are returning to Earth to benefit the solar energy industry.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2012

COMPASS Final Report: Lunar Relay Satellite (LRS)

The Lunar Relay Satellite (LRS) COllaborative Modeling and Parametric Assessment of Space Systems (COMPASS) session was tasked to design a satellite to orbit in an elliptical lunar polar orbit to provide relay communications between lunar South Pole assets and the Earth. The design included a complete master equipment list, power requirement list, configuration design, and brief risk assessment and cost analysis. The LRS is a half-TDRSS sized box spacecraft, which provides communications and navigation relay between lunar outposts (via Lunar Communications Terminals (LCT)) or Sortie parties (with user radios) and large ground antennas on Earth. The LRS consists of a spacecraft containing all the communications and avionics equipment designed by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory s (JPL) Team X to perform the relay between lunar-based assets and the Earth. The satellite design is a standard box truss spacecraft design with a thermal control system, 1.7 m solar arrays for 1 kWe power, a 1 m diameter Ka/S band dish which provides relay communications with the LCT, and a Q-band dish for communications to/from the Earth based assets. While JPL's Team X and Goddard Space Flight Center s (GSFC) I M Design Center (IMDC) have completed two other LRS designs, this NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) COMPASS LRS design sits between them in terms of physical size and capabilities.

Oleson, Steven R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The Crop Growth Research Chamber - A ground-based facility for CELSS research

Crop Growth Research Chambers (CGRCs) are being developed as CELSS research facilities for the NASA/Ames Research Center. The history of the CGRC project is reviewed, noting the applications of CGRC research for the development of the Space Station. The CGRCs are designed for CELSS research and development, system control and integration, and flight hardware design and experimentation. The atmospheric and hydroponic environments of the CGRC system are described and the science requirements for CGRC environmental control are listed.

Bubenheim, David L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Hyper-X Program Status

This paper provides an overview of the objectives and status of the Hyper-X program, which is tailored to move hypersonic, airbreathing vehicle technology from the laboratory environment to the flight environment. The first Hyper-X research vehicle (HXRV), designated X-43, is being prepared at the Dryden Flight Research Center for flight at Mach 7. Extensive risk reduction activities for the first flight are completed, and non-recurring design activities for the Mach 10 X-43 (3rd flight) are nearing completion. The Mach 7 flight of the X-43, in the spring of 2001, will be the first flight of an airframe-integrated scramjet-powered vehicle. The Hyper-X program is continuing to plan follow-on activities to focus an orderly continuation of hypersonic technology development through flight research.

McClinton, Charles R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Hyper-X Program Status

This paper provides an overview of the objectives and status of the Hyper-X program, which is tailored to move hypersonic, airbreathing vehicle technology from the laboratory environment to the flight environment. The first Hyper-X research vehicle (HXRV), designated X-43. is being prepared at the Dryden Flight Research Center for flight at Mach 7. Extensive risk reduction activities for the first flight are completed, and non-recurring design activities for the Mach 10 X-43 (3rd flight) are nearing completion. The Mach 7 flight of the X-43, in the spring of 2001, will be the first flight of an airframe-integrated scramjet-powered vehicle. The Hyper-X program is continuing to plan follow-on activities to focus an orderly continuation of hypersonic technology development through flight research.

C. R. McClinton↗
NASA NTRS2001

Hyper-X Program Status

This paper provides an overview of the objectives and status of the Hyper-X program, which is tailored to move hypersonic, airbreathing vehicle technology from the laboratory environment to the flight environment. The first Hyper-X research vehicle (HXRV), designated X-43, is being prepared at the Dryden Flight Research Center for flight at Mach 7. Extensive risk reduction activities for the first flight are completed, and non-recurring design activities for the Mach 10 X-43 (third flight) are nearing completion. The Mach 7 flight of the X-43, in the spring of 2001, will be the first flight of an airframe-integrated scramjet-powered vehicle. The Hyper-X program is continuing to plan follow-on activities to focus an orderly continuation of hypersonic technology development through flight research.

McClinton, Charles R.↗
DOE OSTI2015

A Micromegas-based low-background x-ray detector coupled to a slumped-glass telescope for axion research

Here, we report on the design, construction and operation of a low background x-ray detection line composed of a shielded Micromegas detector of the microbulk technology. The detector is made from radiopure materials and is placed at the focal point of a ~ 5 cm diameter, 1.5 m focal-length, cone-approximation Wolter I x-ray telescope (XRT) assembled from thermally-formed (or "slumped") glass substrates deposited with multilayer coatings. The system has been conceived as a technological pathfinder for the future International Axion Observatory (IAXO), as it combines two of the techniques (optic and detector) proposed in the conceptual design of the project. It is innovative for two reasons: it is the first time an x-ray optic has been designed and fabricated specifically for axion research, and the first time a Micromegas detector has been operated with an x-ray optic. The line has been installed at one end of the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) magnet and is currently looking for solar axions. Furthermore, the combination of the XRT and Micromegas detector provides the best signal-to-noise ratio obtained so far by any detection system of the CAST experiment with a background rate of 5.4×10 –3 counts per hour in the energy region-of-interest and signal spot area.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1982

Stress analysis and design considerations for Shuttle pointed autonomous research tool for astronomy /SPARTAN/

The Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN) family of spacecraft are intended to operate with minimum interfaces with the U.S. Space Shuttle in order to increase flight opportunities. The SPARTAN I Spacecraft was designed to enhance structural capabilities and increase reliability. The approach followed results from work experience which evolved from sounding rocket projects. Structural models were developed to do the analyses necessary to satisfy safety requirements for Shuttle hardware. A loads analysis must also be performed. Stress analysis calculations will be performed on the main structural elements and subcomponents. Attention is given to design considerations and program definition, the schematic representation of a finite element model used for SPARTAN I spacecraft, details of loads analysis, the stress analysis, and fracture mechanics plan implications.

Ferragut, N. J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Drosophila Habitat Developed to Support Research on the International Space Station

The Fruit Fly Lab is a hardware suite being designed to support research on the International Space Station (ISS) for use by the entire Drosophila research community. A validation mission will launch and return on SpaceX-5 in late 2014, followed by Principal Investigator-lead science flights thereafter. Space flight experiments are selected via peer-reviewed proposals open to the Drosophila community. The cassettes (containers) that will house the Drosophila cultures were successfully used to conduct an immunity study on the Space Shuttle. Results showed that the innate immune system of Drosophila melanogaster was affected by space flight with a reduction in phagocytosis function of plasmatocytes, changes in antimicrobial peptides and other gene expression levels, as well as changes in development of the animals. Scientific research topics that are of interest to NASA will be presented. Each cassette used to house the Drosophila has a removable food tray that can be replaced to sustain the growth of the culture, or can be transferred to another cassette, along with embryos and burrowed larvae, enabling multi-generational studies. The cassette can be frozen in the Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS to preserve samples until post-flight analysis, expanding the applications of the hardware. Utilization of a centrifuge allows for on-orbit 1g controls for microgravity experiments, as well as variable g-levels for lunar or Mars environment studies. The standard form factor used also allows for implementation of modular upgrades. An observation system, circadian rhythm lighting system, and fixation capability are upgrades currently in development for near-term implementation. This hardware suite, with its flight- proven design and ability to utilize existing on-board facilities, offers the whole Drosophila research community a platform to address several key areas of the National Research Councils decadal survey, supporting the utilization of ISS for science discovery.

Drosophila↗
DOE OSTI2017

Microstructure Characterization and Modeling for Improved Electrode Design

This presentation describes research work led by NREL with team members from Argonne National Laboratory and Texas A&M University in microstructure analysis, modeling and validation under DOE's Computer-Aided Engineering of Batteries (CAEBAT) program. The goal of the project is to close the gaps between CAEBAT models and materials research by creating predictive models that can be used for electrode design.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗